WVTK Local & State News March 18, 2015

A bill that would close two Vermont State Police dispatch centers is not being received well in law enforcement circles. Police, firefighters, dispatchers and others came to the Statehouse yesterday to express their opposition to the cost saving measure. State officials say closing the Rutland and Derby dispatch centers would save the state one-point-seven-million-dollars.

Vehicle Inspections Stations across the state are reporting stolen inspection stickers. The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles says over the past 3 months about 500 stickers have been stolen in a dozen separate burglaries at state inspection stations from Georgia to Bethel. DMV officials believe the stickers are being sold illegally for up to $120 to people with vehicles that can't pass a safety inspection.

A bill that would ban Vermont public school teachers from going out on strike is advancing in the state legislature. The House Education Committee approved the bill yesterday. It calls for mediation and fact finding, but no binding arbitration as previously proposed. Teachers say the bill is anti-union and changes the balance of negotiations to favor school boards.

The trial against Christopher Sullivan got underway yesterday morning. The former Rutland City attorney is on trial for a deadly hit-and-run crash. Prosecutors say Christopher Sullivan was driving drunk two years ago when he hit Mary Outslay as the 71-year-old walked across Strongs Avenue. The defense attorney for Sullivan argued that factors such as the weather, Sullivan's state of mind after the crash, and that people who were around Sullivan that night say he didn’t appear intoxicated.

A man and a woman are facing charges accusing them of an armed robbery of a Milton pharmacy. Police say Leroy Hughes of Fairfield and Siobhan Bird of Fairfax robbed the Kinney Drug Store on Monday. The pair allegedly indicated that they had a weapon and escaped with Oxycontin pills. The arrests came yesterday after an investigation by State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

This weekend, it’s Maple Weekend in New York. About 160 different maple producers around the Empire State will be showcasing what they’ve got going on along with special demonstrations and events. For a list of all the producers and a map you can visit www.NYMaple.com.